Chapter 4I Spat Out the Coin and Won My Freedom

I gave the visitor a look, then answered calmly.

"One of the West Side capo's men. There's a loose end that wasn't tied up. They sent him to ask about the details."

The delayed evacuation had, in fact, nearly exposed some of the officers on our payroll.

They'd taken their anger out on the West Side, so the capo wanted an explanation from me as the mission lead.

Clark knew about all this, so he gave an indifferent nod. "Caroline wants some of your homemade pumpkin pie."

He paused. "She's pregnant."

My breath caught for a second. Probably because of the heart failure, the pain hit hard.

But I fought it down and kept my expression perfectly calm.

"Congratulations. But I'm sorry, boss, I can't get out of bed just yet."

"It's been two weeks. How are you still not better?"

I shot back. "I have you to thank for that. You've been pulling my attending physician away so often that I need to stay hospitalized a while longer."

My reaction was far too calm, nothing like what he'd expected.

Irritation surged through Clark, but he had no retort.

He was the one who'd used cash to get my doctor to falsify medical records just to keep Caroline happy.

He was the one who'd told the senior members and the Don that my injuries didn't require specialized care.

And yet he was the one who was annoyed.

Unable to find fault with me, he turned his frustration on the visitor, jerking his chin in the man's direction. "You. Come here. We're going to run your prints."

The air in the room went taut.

If the visitor's identity was exposed now, everything would be over. Knowing Clark, he'd keep me trapped at his side for the rest of my life.

The instant the visitor stood, I rolled off the hospital bed.

The gunshot wound, still unhealed, sent blinding pain through me, and my eyes burned red.

Clark rushed over to catch me. A tear fell onto his hand.

"Congratulations on the baby with Caroline."

I paused, then forced a look of heartbreak. "Take me with you. I'll go make her the pie."

He froze. The visitor said he'd go fetch a doctor and slipped out.

Clark lifted me into his arms, a confident smile spreading across his face.

"Why do you do this to yourself? We used to be so in sync. I know you took that bullet on purpose, just so I'd feel sorry for you."

He pressed a light kiss to my lips. "If you hadn't gotten pregnant in our last life, I wouldn't have tried to kill you.

"Once I've married Caroline and she's given me a child, you can move into my villa in the South Side. I'll spoil you rotten."

I traced my fingers along his jaw.

"Whatever you want, Clark. But I'm still hurt. I want to go rest at my family's old villa in the North Side. Would that be okay?"

Clark reached over and undid the top button of my shirt. "That depends on how sincere you are."

His man outside the door discreetly stepped away.

He took his time with me before finally having a doctor process my discharge.

"If you need a car, tell the butler. I have other things to handle. Take care of yourself."

With that, he left, looking completely satisfied with himself.

I wiped myself down with wet wipes in disgust.

I texted Matthew. "I want to be in Bayport tonight."

His reply came quickly. "Nine o'clock. Newbury Airport."

I packed immediately. But just as I reached the highway on-ramp heading for the airport, I ran straight into Caroline and Clark.

Clark recognized the car, but it was too dark for him to see who was in the back seat.

I shrank into the shadows, barely daring to make a noise.

The next second, Caroline called out to him in her sweet voice.